BOCA RATON, FL – May 21, 2018 – Boca Raton Regional Hospital is now offering regenerative medicine therapy
for orthopedic patients undergoing rehabilitation for conditions of the
tendons, bone and peripheral joints — especially osteoarthritis
of the knee. The treatment centers around the use of the body’s
natural healing process to stimulate healing, diminish pain and restore
natural function in the affected area.
According to Joshua Rothenberg, DO, and Director of Regenerative Medicine
at the Hospital, the therapies are showing great promise and often enable
patients to recover more quickly and obtain better pain relief from their
musculoskeletal injury or disability.
“I employ regenerative medicine as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation
program that is focused on the strengthening of the musculoskeletal system.
While the field is still relatively new, we know that the body has an
inherent ability to heal itself from injury…we’re simply
using what nature has provided to the patient’s advantage,” he said.
The mainstays of Dr. Rothenberg’s regenerative medicine practice
are the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as well as new regenerative
cellular treatments, which contain a patient’s own mesenchymal stem
cells derived from fat tissue or bone marrow aspirate.
PRP is becoming increasingly recognized as a non-steroidal alternative
to improving tissue healing and rehabilitation. Studies have shown its
effectiveness in enhancing function and decreasing pain caused by various
soft tissue, joint, ligament and tendon conditions. The therapy has generated
significant publicity in recent years through its successful use by a
number of professional athletes.
“Platelet activation plays a major role in the process of wound and
tissue healing,” noted Dr. Rothenberg. “In PRP, we inject
highly concentrated platelets derived from the patient’s own blood
into the abnormal or injured tissue, which in turn releases growth factors
and proteins that recruit and increase the proliferation of reparative
cells. This is all done in a same-day, office-based procedure.”
Bone marrow and fat-derived regenerative cellular treatments involve the
injection of a cellular “soup” containing mesenchymal stem
cells, growth factors and proteins that are believed to be important in
the healing cascade for joints and tendons.
Interestingly, they seek the area of injury or damage, release cellular
components and signal other cells to the area. Mesenchymal stem cells
or “medicinal signaling cells” as they have been coined, are
thought to be largely responsible for this cellular recruitment. This
ultimately results in the body’s natural healing response.
“Both PRP and regenerative cellular therapies are wonderful adjunct
therapies and are useful for a host of musculoskeletal problems,”
said Dr. Rothenberg, who is fellowship-trained from the renowned University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center and double board-certified in Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. “Having them available with
the outstanding orthopedic surgical capabilities of my colleagues, we
present a continuum of care for our patients that is the most complete
in medicine today.”
About Boca Raton Regional Hospital – Advancing the boundaries of medicine.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (BRRH.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff.
The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease
and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health,
emergency medicine and the neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art
diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive
Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Media Contact:
Michael Maucker, 561.955.4706
Marketing Manager
mmaucker@brrh.com